Workers rallied together Saturday morning, September 22, 2012, against Walmart's labor practices at Griggs Park in Dallas, Texas before marching to the Walmart store on Central Expressway. Walmart associates listened to the morning's speakers.

Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board asking it to stop planned demonstrations against the company on Black Friday.

Wal-Mart, the largest U.S. retailer and employer with 1.4 million workers, wants to prevent a union-backed group from protesting at its stores on the busiest shopping day of the year. Actions by OUR Wal-Mart are unlawful attempts to disrupt its business, Wal-Mart said

OUR Walmart, a group affiliated with the United Food and Commercial Workers Union, says it has employees across the U.S. supporting its efforts. Several Dallas-area Wal-Mart employees are active in the group and some traveled to Bentonville for a protest at a Wal-Mart analyst meeting.

Reuters retail writer Jessica Wohl first reported the news on Friday. Here’s how the two sides stack up, according to the Reuters story.

“We are taking this action now because we cannot allow the UFCW to continue to intentionally seek to create an environment that could directly and adversely impact our customers and associates,” Wal-Mart spokesman David Tovar said on Friday. “If they do, they will be held accountable.”

The union is undeterred. “Walmart is grasping at straws,” said UFCW Communications Director Jill Cashen. “There’s nothing in the law that gives an employer the right to silence workers and citizens.”